Half an hour later, Gu Chengyuan gathered the military force downstairs and organized the survivors to board the vehicles.
Fortunately, this was a settlement area, where the residents' consumption level wasn't very high. Most families owned SUVs, with some having four-seater sedans. If it had been a villa area filled with two-seater sports cars, transporting these survivors would have meant letting them sit on the roof.
They could have walked, since the school was just across the street. But gathering so many people together and exposing them outside might attract some mutated creatures.
The zombie dog attack that night had already served as a warning to Gu Chengyuan. Although his goodwill towards these survivors had diminished due to previous events, he couldn't just ignore their lives.
As the 30 survivors lined up to board the four SUVs, those who had been noisy all afternoon and were now exhausted began to clamor again. However, their attitude had noticeably softened, with some even starting to plead:
"Don't leave! Please, save me!"
"Yes, yes, I'm different from those idiots who cursed you this morning! I'm just brain-damaged! If you don't believe me, I'll show you my medical records!"
"Save us! The children are innocent, my child is only two years old, dear commanders!"
Looking at these people, Gu Chengyuan felt it was surreal. The ones who cursed them the most in the morning, wishing for their demise, were now the ones begging and shifting blame as the truth slowly dawned on them in the afternoon.
Seeing them reminded him of those netizens who were easily swayed before the apocalypse, making him deeply understand the helplessness in Lu Xun's words about lamenting their misfortune and anger at their lack of resistance.
But thinking from another perspective, why bother arguing with people who had already reached such a state?
Seeing their pleading expressions, Gu Chengyuan's face softened.
"Guangqiang!"
"Here!"
"Tell them we'll come back tomorrow, don't wander off!"
"Yes!"
Pu Guangqiang received the order and went to announce the news to the pleading survivors, who immediately erupted with excitement.
"Warriors, go back and rest well, don't overexert yourselves!"
"We'll wait here for you, we won't wander off!"
"Yes, yes, you've been killing zombies all day! Rest well, everyone can't be too selfish, the warriors are human too!"
"If we don't care for our own soldiers, who will?"
Ignoring these comments, Gu Chengyuan got into the passenger seat. Once everyone was in the vehicles, he ordered the convoy to start moving.
Thus, the convoy, led by Gu Chengyuan in a Mengshi 3 Assault Vehicle, with four SUVs in the middle and an armored assault vehicle at the rear, slowly drove out of the Yezhou University settlement area.
Just as they exited, Gu Chengyuan deployed five soldiers each from Elite Squad 1 and Elite Squad 2 to dig out the zombie brain cores from last night's kills.
But shortly after, a report came through the walkie-talkie from the detail team.
"Commander, the detail team reports that the brain cores of the zombies killed last night are all gone!"
"The heads have been pierced by different sharp objects!"
Hearing this, Gu Chengyuan's expression turned serious.
"Understood! Detail team, return safely!"
What was taking the spoils? There were no signs of human activity when they went there this morning.
"Different sharp objects"
Gu Chengyuan pondered this phrase carefully. From this clue, it seemed that the entity taking the spoils wasn't just one, but a group.
Although he couldn't be sure what it was, Gu Chengyuan leaned towards it being some unknown mutated creature.
As for humans, it wasn't that Gu Chengyuan underestimated them, but the apocalypse had only broken out for less than two days. Gathering together for self-preservation was already challenging, let alone launching an active attack to steal inedible brain cores, especially at night.
The brain cores, apart from being used for the system, hadn't been found useful by Gu Chengyuan yet.
It was somewhat amusing; the brain core of the zombie dog from last night was still in his pocket. He had even conducted various experiments with it after waking up this morning.
These included, but were not limited to, meditating with the brain core, focusing his mind on it in an attempt to absorb it, and even secretly trying to drip blood on it. He was just short of smashing it and drinking it directly.
As he thought about it, Gu Chengyuan and his team had already reached the gate of Apartment No. 22.
Upon hearing the commotion, Cai Anxin and Lu Shengfu immediately led their people out of the building.
As soon as Gu Chengyuan got out of the car, Cai Anxin approached to report the day's work, while Lu Shengfu, having nothing to report, also joined in.
"Commander and warriors, you've worked hard!"
"Now, please move to Canteen No. 5. After sealing off the dormitory corridors today, I led people to clean the kitchen and personally killed two zombies!"
To make his words more convincing, Cai Anxin lifted a corner of his blood-stained shirt.
"Yes, yes! I witnessed it myself, Chairman Cai is indeed impressive!" Lu Shengfu vouched for him.
Today's scene had indeed frightened Lu Shengfu, not just because of the zombies, but also because of Cai Anxin and his driver.
After finishing the dormitory work today, the group discussed and decided to clean out the canteen, as constantly eating dry rations wasn't a viable option.